Wilderness stalker

A wilderness stalker uses stealth to slip unseen and unheard through the woods and sneak in close to her prey. Born of instinct among the tauren and the trolls in ancient times, the way of the wilderness stalker has become a set of skills passed from one generation to another - and to the occasional ally, such as the orcs of the Horde. The mok'nathal have also developed the techniques of becoming wilderness stalkers - claiming the wilds of Azeroth, becoming true people of the land.

A wilderness stalker emphasizes thrown weapons as well as bonding with the world around her. Their Alliance counterparts, elven rangers, may be guardians and hunters as well, but wilderness stalkers are true creatures of the wild. They gain mastery over the terrain in which they battle, learning how to use the environment to their best advantage. No one can match a wilderness stalker for her ability to survive in harsh environments. Wilderness stalkers claim that that the lands speak to them, aiding them in their hunting and protecting them.[1]

Though a wilderness stalker excels at closing on unaware prey, she knows that their prey will occasionally sense her before she can get within reach and thus, many wilderness stalkers are also skilled at throwing weapons at a bolting target. A wilderness stalker may move through any sort of nonmagical undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas and other similar terrain) at her normal speed without taking damage or suffering any other way.

A wilderness stalker gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. Wilderness stalkers call upon the spirits of the land and nature to help them. Their spells deal with hunting and surviving in the natural world. In time the wilderness stalker learns the languages of the animals and trees around her, and may speak with any animals or plants. The wilderness stalker learns to become one with the world around her and blend into it. The wilderness stalker learns how to call upon the spirits of trees for help in battle. The higly skilled wilderness stalker can move entire forests to fight for her.[2]

Wilderness stalkers are found almost exclusively among the Horde, as only half-ogres, tauren and trolls teach the abilities. Wilderness stalkers are most often barbarians, hunters or scouts, though many druids and shaman take up the path as well. There are no known arcanist wilderness stalkers on Azeroth. Among forest trolls, many axethrowers learn the wilderness stalker's arts, and many headhunters among jungle trolls become wilderness stalkers. Wilderness stalkers provide a vital role in the Horde as both scouts and stalkers in the wilds. Even the Alliance's elven rangers and night elfSentinels cannot outwit a wilderness stalker in her preferred environment, nor match the savagery of her attacks. Often a stalker precedes an army, scouting ahead and slaying sentries for the Horde before guiding her fellows through the woods and into the heart of an enemy's encampment.

Wilderness stalkers share a fierce competition with elven rangers. Both groups claim to train the greatest woodsmen and women on Azeroth, and attempt to prove the strength of their paths with almost bloodthirsty fervor. Perhaps the most vicious rivalry exists between high elf rangers and forest troll wilderness stalkers, who add racial animosity to the deal. The rivalry is so fierce between these individuals that both often abandon their duties and compatriots at a hint of a rival's presence. The resulting battles are perhaps worse than most engagements their respective forces see that day.

Wilderness stalkers gain prestige among their fellows. The path of the wilderness stalker is almost always a solitary one, as the wilderness stalker must learn to commune with the wilds about her. Months of training in natural environments face her, testing her skills and resolve. Among some tauren and troll tribes, the wilderness stalker receives a final test, where she is offered either a knife or a waterskin, and is teleported into an unknown, unfamiliar and unkind environment. If the trainee can survive for one month against the odds, she may call herself a wilderness stalker and join her tribe once again. Not surprisingly, few pass this grueling ordeal.

Despite their loner mentality, occasionally a wilderness stalker seeks out the companionship of others, if just for a change of pace. Wilderness stalkers prefer to associate with like-minded types, such as beastmasters and hunters. While the path of a wilderness stalker is a warrior's path, most other warriors are too loud and destructive for the average wilderness stalker's tastes (though some troll stalkers can make even the most savage orc grunt look tame). They also look favorably on druids and shaman, even those of the Alliance, simply for the respect and camaraderie of the world's spirit speakers. Even evil stalkers respect the spirits, or perhaps fear them, and rarely anger a druid or shaman. Most are affiliated with the Horde, and only a few are independent.[3]